World War II: A Comprehensive Overview

World War II Introduction: • Most devastating war in human history • 55 million dead • 1 trillion dollars • Began in 1939 as strictly a European Conflict, ended in 1945. • Widened to include most of the world Great Depression Leads Towards Fascism • In 1929, the U.S. Stock Market crashed and sent shockwaves throughout the world. • Many democracies, including the U.S., Britain, and France, remained strong despite the economic crisis caused by the G.D. • Millions lost faith in government • As a result, a few countries turned towards an extreme government called fascism. 1.Germany Adolf Hitler, 2.Spain Francisco Franco 3. Soviet Union Joseph Stalin 4. Italy Benito Mussolini Fascism • Fascism: A political movement that promotes an extreme form of nationalism, a denial of individual rights, and a dictatorial one-party rule. • Emphasizes 1) loyalty to the state, and 2) obedience to its leader. • Fascists promised to revive the economy, punish those responsible for hard times, and restore national pride. The Rise of Benito Mussolini • Fascism’s rise in Italy due to: • Disappointment over failure to win land at the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. • Italy wanted a leader who could take action Mussolini Background • Was a newspaper editor and politician • Said he would rebuild the economy, the armed forces, and give Italy a strong leadership. • Mussolini was able to come to power by – publicly criticizing Italy’s government – Followers (black shirts) attacked communists and socialists on the streets. • In October 1922 • 30,000 followers marched to Rome and demanded that King Victor Emmanuel III put Mussolini in charge Il Duce • 1. 2. 3. 3 Decisions he made for complete control Mussolini was Il Duce, or the leader. He abolished democracy and outlawed all political parties except the Fascists. Secret police jailed his opponents. Mussolini outlawed strikes, and censored radio stations. Fist Pump •Rise to Power Adolf Hitler Birth • Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889 in Braunau, Austria. • Adolf was 1 of 6 children - 3 of who died at early ages Overall Purpose: The overall purpose of this blurb on Hitler is to explain how this little boy on the left became the man on the right who was ultimately responsible for the death of about 50 million people all over the world!! Parents Alois Schickelgruber Hitler was a customs official who was illegitimate by birth. His father, Adolf’s grandfather, may have been Jewish. He died when Adolf was 14 and left him a small inheritance. Klara Hitler was very young when she married the older Alois. She showered young Adolf with love and affection. Adolf carried a picture of his mom until the day he died. She died of breast cancer when Adolf was 18 years old. Education • Attended a monastery school where he took part in the choir. • When it was time to choose a secondary school, Adolf wanted to become an artist. • His father wanted him to become a civil servant, After his father died, he dropped out of high school and attempted to get into the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts - he failed to get in. This 1914 painting is titled: “The Courtyard of the Old Residency in Munich.” Years in Vienna • After his mother died, Adolf (now 18) decided to move to Austria to pursue his dream of becoming a great artist. • Again he failed to gain entrance into the Academy • He eventually sold all his possessions and became a homeless drifter who slept on park benches and ate at soup kitchens throughout Vienna (age 19) • Adolf did manage to sell some paintings and postcards, but remained impoverished Vienna -Importance • Influenced by the antiSemitic mayor of Vienna, Karl Lueger • Became interested in the idea of German nationalism. • Also received first taste of politics Military Service Adolf left Austria at the age of 24 to avoid mandatory military service that was required of all men. •But he did sign up for military service at the start of WW I. He joined a Bavarian unit of the German Army. • This is a picture of Hitler listening to an enlistment speech. Military Record • Was awarded the Iron Cross twice. (5 medals overall) • Highest military honor in German Army. • Single handedly captured 4 French soldiers. • Blinded by gas attack towards end of war. German Worker‟s Party • Hitler decided to investigate this conservative party in Munich in 1919. • He went to a meeting and gave a speech on his experiences during the war. • He was then asked to become a member, which he did Leader and Platform • Hitler drafted a platform of 25 points • Revoke Versailles Treaty • Revoke civil rights of Jews • Nazi party’s acronym was NSDAP or National Socialist Germany Worker’s Party Besides changing the party name, the red flag with the SWASTIKA was adopted as the party symbol •Greek Silver Coin (8th Century) •Etruscan Pendant (8th Century) Ohio River Valley B-ball Team (1909) Beer Hall Putsch • October 30, 1923 • Hitler held a rally in Munich beer hall and declared revolution • Led 2000 men in take over of German Government • It failed and Hitler was imprisoned Trial and Jail •At his trial (Hitler was charged with treason), he used the opportunity to speak about the NAZI platform and spread his popularity. •The whole nation suddenly knew who Adolf Hitler was and what he stood for •He was sentenced to five years, but actually only served about 9 months •When he left prison, he was ready to go into action again. Mein Kampf • Hitler’s book “My Struggle” wrote while in jail • Sold 5 million copies, made him rich • Topics included: Jews were evil, Germans were superior race, Fuhrer principal, dislike of Communism and Democracy and need to conquer Russia Legal Rise to Power • Used popularity from failed revolution and book to seize power legally • Spoke to mass audiences about making Germany a great nation again • Nazi Party: – 1930 = 18% of vote – 1932 = 30% of vote – Hitler is appointed Chancellor (Prime Minister) in 1933 – Why? Pressure from Nazi Party on President Hindenburg Brownshirts • Q. How did he accomplish such popularity? • A. FEAR • “Brownshirts” or SA (Stormtroopers) • SA was used to put down opposition parties • Threatened and beat up Jews and anti-Nazi voters • Numbered almost 400,000 by 1932 January 1933: Hitler became Chancellor of Germany http://clip.dj/2-hitler-s-first-speech-as-reich-chancellor10-feb-download-mp3-mp4rMzq0FggECs#v/AHHr2SNjbnc Legal Rise of Adolf Hitler • Hitler appointed as chancellor, 1933 and wanted total power • New parliament created – 450, 000 members – Larger than German army • Demanded dictatorial power for 4 years, only one deputy spoke out against him. • Used his power to turn Germany into a fascist state or totalitarian state (complete control over every aspect of public and private lives. Hitler Gets Busy • Gestapo Created (Nazi Secret Police) -- April, 1933 • Passes Enabling Act- Says the Chancellor of Germany have full legislative powers for a period of four years – • Also, the Chancellor could introduce any law without consulting Parliament. • Then President Hindenburg died. Hitler used the Enabling Act to merge the office of Chancellor with that of President to create a new office-Fuhrer • Jewish Boycott of Shops and Businesses – April, 1933 • Jewish Books Banned & Burned – May, 1933 • 27,000 People in Camps – July, 1933 • 60,000 People in Camps – 1938 • Illegal to Leave Germany – October, 1941 Schutzstaffel (S.S.) The S.S. • This organization served as Hitler’s police force. • Made up of almost one million men, it served in battle in the front lines, and also was the unit in charge of many of the war crimes against humanity. Hitler expands Germany Remember after World War I… • Treaty of Versailles seriously damaged German economy • When Adolf Hitler comes to power – Promised to restore Germany’s greatness – Lebensraum, or make the “living room” bigger – In March 1935, the Fuhrer (leader) announced that Germany would not obey these restrictions. • Hitler wanted more territory – Neighbors aware of threat – Memories of World War I still fresh – No one willing to fight over words Hitler Defies the Treaty of Versailles • The League of Nations only issued a mild condemnation. • Banners in Germany said “Today Germany! Tomorrow the World!” Hitler soon ordered a program of rearming Germany Hitler visits a factory and is enthusiastically greeted. Many Germans were grateful for jobs after the misery of he depression years. Failure of the League of Nations • The League’s failure to stop Germany from rearming convinced Hitler to be more bold. • The treaty had forbidden German troops to enter a 30 mile wide zone on either side of the Rhine River known as the Rhineland. • This served as a buffer zone between Germany and France. • In 1936, Germany troops moved into the Rhineland. Stunned, the French were unwilling to risk war. • The British urged appeasement, giving into an aggressor to keep peace. • Hitler later admitted that he would have backed down if the French and British had challenged him. March 1936: German troops marched into the Rhineland Germany controls the Rhineland • The German reoccupation of the Rhineland marked a turning point in the march toward war. • First, it strengthened Hitler’s power and prestige within Germany. • Second, the balance of power changed in Germany’s favor. France and Belgium were now open to attack from German troops. Civil War Erupts in Spain • In July 1936, army leaders, favoring a Fascist-style government, joined General Francisco Franco in a revolt. • Hitler and Mussolini sent troops, tanks, and airplanes to help Franco’s forces. March 1938: Nazi Germany Annexes Austria •Again, this went against the terms of the Treaty of Versailles which banned Germany from uniting with Austria. •However, the arrival of German troops was met with great enthusiasm by many Austrian people. Western Democracies Fail to Halt Aggression • The United States has the foreign policy of Isolationism again (Franklin D. Roosevelt) • Britain and France again choose appeasement • The Munich Conference was held in September, 1938. • British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain believed that he could preserve peace by giving in to Hitler’s demand. The Munich Conference • Britain and France agreed that Hitler could take the Sudentland. • In exchange, Hitler pledge to respect Czechoslovakia’s new borders (Treaty is signed) • Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement seemed to have prevented war. • When he returned to London, Chamberlain told cheering crowds, “I believe it is peace for our time.” • SOMEONE SEVERELY DISAGREES Chamberlain meets Hitler "If ever that silly old man comes interfering here again with his umbrella, I'll kick him downstairs and jump on his stomach in front of the photographers". --Adolf Hitler to Neville Chamberlain March 1939: Germany invaded Czechoslovakia •Hitler double-crosses everyone, ignores the Munich Treaty and invades Czechoslovakia •This was the first aggressive step that suggested that a war in Europe would soon begin. Churchill’s Voice We are in the presence of a disaster of the first magnitude…we have sustained a defeat without a war…And do not suppose that this is the end….This is only the first sip, the first foretaste of a bitter cup which will be proffered to us year by year unless, by a supreme recovery of moral health and vigor, we arise and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time Winston Churchill, speech before the House of Commons, October 5, 1938. I told you so… • Less than 6 months later, Hitler’s troops took Czechoslovakia. • Mussolini seized nearby Albania • Hitler demanded Poland • Appeasement had convinced Hitler that neither nation would risk war August 1939: Germany and Russia Signed a Non-Aggression Pact •Hitler and Stalin (the Russian leader) signed a „non-aggression pact‟. •They promised that neither country would attack the other in the event of war. •As part of the deal, Hitler promised Stalin part of Poland, which he planned to invade soon. This photo shows the Russian foreign minister signing the pact, while Stalin stands smiling in the background Stalin Hitler The non-aggression pact was surprising. Hitler and Stalin were seen as natural enemies. When Hitler talked of taking over new land for Germany, many thought that he meant Russia. Hitler also hated Communism, the form of government in Russia September 1939: Germany invaded Poland • On 3rd September 1939, Germany invaded Poland and started a War with Britain and France. German troops marching into Warsaw, the capital of Poland. May 1940: Germany Turned West and Invaded France and the Netherlands • In May 1940, Germany used Blitzkrieg tactics to attack France and the Netherlands. • Blitzkreig “or lightning war,” used fast-moving airplanes and tanks, followed by massive infantry forces, to take the enemy by surprise. Captured British troops, May 1940 The Phony War • • • Strange Calm – 7 mo. No movement. France/Britain mobilize armies They stationed their troops there and called it the Maginot Line, a system of fortifications along France’s border with Germany. • They waited for the Nazi’s to attack-but nothing happened. Called it “Sitzkreig” • 4/9/40 - Phony war ended. Hitler launched a surprise invasion of Denmark and Norway in order to: Build bases and along their coasts to strike the powerful Great Britain. • • In 4 hours, Denmark fell. Two months later, Norway surrendered. Germans Squeeze Through • After conquering Denmark and Norway, Hitler began fighting in Holland, Belgium, and Luxembourg. (TO KEEP ALLIES PREOCCUPIED. • Keeping the allies attention on those countries, the Germans sent a huge force through the Ardennes Forest in Northeastern France and they squeezed between the Maginot Line. • From there the Nazis moved across France’s northern coast in 10 days, joined forces with German troops in Belgium and trapped the Allies in the northern French city of Lille (Leel). Battle of Dunkirk • Belgium Surrenders • The Allies escaped to the beaches at Dunkirk and were trapped with their backs to the sea. , • GB had to rescue the army • Sent 850 ships across the English channel to Dunkirk. • The armada under fire from the German bombers rescued an incredible 338,000 battleweary Allied soldiers. • Quite possibly saved the Allies from DEFEAT Great Escape at Dunkirk in English Channel Italy Sides With Germany • Sensing that France seemed doomed for defeat, Italy’s (Mussolini) officially joined forces with Hitler • Declared war on both Great Britain and France. • Italy attacked France from the south. On June 14, 1940, France surrendered. Alignment of the Axis Powers in June, 1940 By June 1940, France had surrendered to the Germans • Britain now stood alone as the last remaining enemy of Hitler’s Germany in Western Europe. Adolf Hitler tours Paris after his successful invasion. Operation Sea Lion The Invasion of Great Britain • Wanted to knock out the (RAF) Royal Air Force and then land 250,00 soldiers on England’s shores. • The RAF was outnumbered by the Luftwaffe in terms of planes – 2,900 RAF planes – 4,500 Luftwaffe • Then Hitler became focused on bombing London to break British morale Winston Churchill • The Greatest weapon against Hitler’s Germany was the nation’s prime minister-Winston Churchill. • Born with a speech defect, Churchill became of the great speech makers of all time. • Churchill’s refusal to consider surrendering to Germany provided a base for which the Allies could attack Germany in the future • Open “Our Finest Hour Speech” The British Bulldog September 1940-May 1941: Operation Sea Lion Air Raids on London • For the following nine months, the German air force (Luftwaffe) launched repeated bombing raids on British towns and cities. This was known as the BLITZ and was an attempt to bomb Britain into submission. Battle of Britain • The English were able to win the Battle of Britain because of a number of reasons 1. The RAF pilots were better dogfighters. They were able to shoot down German planes at a 3:1 ratio. A. To avoid RAF attacks, the Germans bombed London at night, and the English would turn all lights off at night and sirens would go off and the English would move to bomb shelters. 2. The Allies developed Radar. Radar could tell the number, speed, and direction of incoming warplanes. 3. The Enigma. A code breaking machine, was smuggled to Great Britain in 1938, and could receive German secret messages and decode them. This is a huge advantage because you may know what the enemy is doing before they do it. • In May, 1941, Hitler was stunned and called off his attacks. The British had outlasted the Germans. Operation Barbarossa, June 1941 • Hitler than decided to attack Russia. He betrayed Stalin and ignored the promises he had made. • This was a bold move that would prove to be an important turning point in the War. Operation Barbarossa • June 1941, Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union had initial successes • Major goals of Leningrad and Moscow not reached before harsh Soviet winter • Soviet armies had time to rebuild and would fight back. Operation was a complete failure because the combination of Soviet will and winter is too much to overcome. The Holocaust • As part of their new order for Europe, Nazis proclaimed that Aryans, or Germanic people, were a “master race.” • They claimed that Jews and other nonAryan peoples were inferior. • This led to the Holocaust- or the mass slaughter of civilians, especially Jews. Kristallnacht • “Night of the Broken Glass” • A Jewish kid named Herschel Grynzpan, a youth from Germany was visiting an uncle in Paris. He received a postcard in Paris saying his father had been deported to Poland after living in Germany for 27 years. Seeking revenge, he shot an employee of the Germany Embassy in Paris Kristallnacht • When Nazi leaders heard the news, they launched a violent attach on the Jewish community. On November 9, 1938, Nazi storm troopers attacked Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues across Germany and killed 100 Jews. A man wrote that “Jewish windows in shops were systematically smashed. Terms • Ghettos- Segregated Jewish areas because Hitler ordered Jews in all countries under his control to be moved into certain cities in Poland. • Ghettos were overcrowded, sealed off, with barbed wire and stone walls. Hitler‟s Final Solution • Hitler grew impatient waiting for Jews to die from starvation and disease in the ghettos. He decided to take a more direct action called the “Final Solution.” It was a program of genocide, which is the systematic killing of an entire people. Anti -Semitism This is the term given to political, social and economic agitation against Jews. In simple terms it means „Hatred of Jews‟. Aryan Race This was the name of what Hitler believed was the perfect race. These were people with full German blood, blonde hair and blue eyes. Between 1939 and 1945 six million Jews were murdered, along with hundreds of thousands of others, such as Gypsies, Jehovah’s Witnesses, disabled and the mentally ill. Percentage of Jews killed in each country A MAP OF THE CONCENTRATION CAMPS AND DEATH CAMPS USED BY THE NAZIS. 16 of the 44 children taken from a French children’s home. They were sent to a concentration camp and later to Auschwitz. ONLY 1 SURVIVED A group of children at a concentration camp in Poland. Part of a stockpile of Zyklon-B poison gas pellets found at Majdanek death camp. Before poison gas was used , Jews were gassed in mobile gas vans. Carbon monoxide gas from the engine’s exhaust was fed into the sealed rear compartment. Victims were dead by the time they reached the burial site. Smoke rises as the bodies are burnt. Jewish women, some holding infants, are forced to wait in a line before their execution by Germans and Ukrainian collaborators. A German policeman shoots individual Jewish women who remain alive in the ravine after the mass execution. Portrait of two-year-old Mania Halef, a Jewish child who was among the 33,771 persons shot by the SS during the mass executions at Babi Yar, September, 1941. Nazis sift through a huge pile of clothes left by victims of the massacre. Two year old Mani Halef’s clothes are somewhere amongst these. Bales of hair shaven from women at Auschwitz, used to make felt-yarn. After liberation, an Allied soldier displays a stash of gold wedding rings taken from victims at Buchenwald. In 1943, when the number of murdered Jews exceeded 1 million. Nazis ordered the bodies of those buried to be dug up and burned to destroy all traces. In 1943, when the number of murdered Jews exceeded 1 million. Nazis ordered the bodies of those buried to be dug up and burned to destroy all traces. Soviet POWs at forced labor in 1943 exhuming bodies in the ravine at Babi Yar, where the Nazis had murdered over 33,000 Jews in September of 1941. What is the difference between a democracy and a dictatorship? What became of the dictators? Surprise Attack on Pearl Harbor • The U.S. had cracked a secret Japanese code in August of 1940 and found out….that Japan had plans to invade the Philippines. • U.S. cut off Oil, Steel, and Rubber shipments to Japan • Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto argued that the U.S. fleet in Hawaii was a “dagger pointed at our throat” and must be destroyed • The Japanese imperial army sent submarines and war planes to bomb the U.S. strategic navy base in Oahu, Hawaii • ->FDR Speech-Infamy The U.S.S. Arizona in flames taking a direct hit in Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941 Japan Attacks What was the outcome? Pearl Harbor • Surprise attack on U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet • December 7, 1941 • Fighters and bombers launched from carriers • Raid a success Two-hour attack • Major destruction • Heavy casualties – 2,400 dead – 200 planes gone – Eight battleships sunk • Three carriers survived War in the Pacific • Japanese troops landed in the Philippines after bombing Pearl Harbor. • Forced Americans to surrender the Philippines • General Douglas McArthur promised the people of the Philippines, “I shall return.” • Two years later, he would. Island Hopping • American plan to take back only the most important islands on the way to Japan. • Allies bombed Japan from the air to weaken the soldiers there • General McArthur began his invasion to take back the Philippine Islands, as promised. • Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa were bloody and cost thousands of lives. Turning Point • In June, American ships sank four enemy aircraft carriers at the Battle of Midway. • Japan’s navy never recovered its losses! Raising of the Flag at Iwo Jima D Day • June 6, 1944, the largest water-to-land invasion in history-160,000 troops • General Dwight D.Eisenhower led the invasion. • American, Canadian, and British troops crossed the English Channel. • Landed on the beaches of Normandy, in France • Many troops died, but the invasion was successful. President Roosevelt Dies • Did not live to see the end of World War II. • Died on April 12, 1945 • Vice President Harry S. Truman became President. Harry S Truman taking the oath of office after the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt, April 12, 1945. The following day, Truman spoke to reporters and said, "...I don't know whether you fellows ever had a load of hay fall on you, but when they told me yesterday what had happened, I felt like the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me." A Secret Weapon • President Truman found out former President Roosevelt had allowed the development of the Atomic Bomb. • “Manhattan Project” led by Scientist Robert Oppenheimer • The most powerful bomb the world had ever known (Uranium-235 was extracted and used) • Summer of 1945, the atomic bomb was ready. • Truman wanted to end the war quickly to save American lives. • If there was an invasion of Japan, surely, millions of Americans would have fought and died, delaying the end of the war for possibly many more years. The Sky Explodes • August 6, 1945, the American bomber, Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb (called the “Little Boy” on Hiroshima. • A flash like an exploding Sun • Mushroom shaped cloud rose from the city • Killed over 90,000–166,000 people. • Japan still DID NOT SURRENDER! • http://www.youtube.com/watc h?v=t19kvUiHvAE&safety_m · On August 9, the U.S. dropped another atomic bomb (Fat Man) on the city of Nagasaki. Killed 60 to 80,000 people. • Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945 • World War II was FINALLY over! • Over 300,000 Americans dead and over 15 millions other soldiers from other countries died in the fighting. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 60,000 feet into the air on the morning of August 9, 1945 Victory in Europe · By April of 1945, American and Soviet troops were closing in on Berlin. · Adolf Hitler committed suicide on April 30, and Germany officially surrendered on May 7. The endless procession of German prisoners marching through the ruined city streets to captivity. Red army soldiers raising the Soviet flag on the roof of the Reichstag (German Parliament) in Berlin, Germany. V-E Day Celebrations in New York City, May 8, 1945. · On August 15, Japan officially surrendered ending World War II. This date became known as V-J Day (Victory over Japan). For millions of Americans, Alfred Eisenstaedt's 1945 LIFE photograph of a sailor stamping a masterly kiss on a nurse symbolized the cathartic joy of V-J Day.